Tails' Tale
by MikomiTheKitsune
Summary: The prequel of The Future of Mobius. Tails had always wondered about his origins, and where Eggman had taken his parents. But one day, he gets a phone call that throws him into an unexpected adventure...Creails Sonamy KnuxOC Shadouge. Rated T just in case
1. Spinning Memories

MikomiTheKitsune is here, nya! I finally managed to complete Chapter 1! This is the prequel of _The Future Of Mobius_, and it explains how Tails finally defeated Eggman and stuff. This is my second fanfic, so…yeah. I'm gonna put who's what age randomly now.

Sonic: 20

Tails: 13

Knux: 21

Amy: 18

Cream: 11

Shadow: 20 (supposedly)

Rouge: 23

Luna (OC): 19

Big: 24

Blaze: 19

Oh yeah…better warn people…WARNING THIS CHAPTER IS _LONG. _Not too long to put up, but…just a warning. The disclaimer…grumble

I do not own the Sonic the Hedgehog series, (oh but how I wish I did) and this story has no relation to the Sonic the Hedgehog series whatsoever; this is just a fan-fiction from my weird fan girl imagination. But I will tell you what I _do _own. Luna the Echidna belongs to me, MikomiTheKitsune, and cannot be used without my permission. I didn't try to copy anyone's story, so if there are any character and/or plot similarities, it's complete coincidence (or _you're _copying _me_!).

Tails' Tale

By MikomiTheKitsune

Chapter 1 – Spinning Memories

Memories were spinning in Tails' mind…

_There he stood, face to face with that grim man…machine…_thing_ that kidnapped his parents and put Koko Island in a state of misery. Though Tails was still exhausted from his previous fight, he still had enough energy to take this lunatic down. It cackled in a starling tone, "So you made it, little fox boy…I was afraid you'd get killed by my minions and I wouldn't get to have any fun…"_

_Mecha Tails, the only alive friend Tails had left, stood confidently next to his friend and master. "No, we're alive alright, and we're going to take you down, you freak!" he yelled, charging at the ugly duck machine._

_It smirked, and with a flick of its hand, zapped Mecha Tails, knocking him out cold. "MECHA TAILS! NOOO!" Tails screamed as he flew over to his unconscious friend. "Don't worry…he's not dead…but this is a matter that we must attend to, yes? This is a battle between you and me…" the lunatic duck-machine cackled._

_Tails glared at the robot and smirked. "Yeah. If you want those Chaos Emeralds, you're going to have to pry them from my cold dead body!" Tails screamed as he glowed a fiery red. The duck chuckled, "And I plan to do just that!"_

_With a flash of a blinding light, Tails' body was filled with an unimaginable power. He glowed a bright scarlet red, his body had turned a bright golden scarlet-brown, his gloves turned red, and his shoes formed two golden bands on them. He finally realized why the Great Badoru Kukku wanted the Emeralds so badly. "Mum…Dad…I'll protect them with my life…" Tails silently said to himself. He faced the duck machine and yelled, "You'll pay for all the devastation you've caused!"_

_The battle was all a blur to him. Exchanging blows, throwing beams, evading bombs…that all he could seem to process at the time. It got to the point where he wasn't aware of his surroundings anymore, not aware of how much time had passed or anything; just him and his bitter urge for revenge. It startled him…_

_When he got control of his spinning thoughts, he realized the situation. The duck thing had suffered many blows, and so had he. They were both on the edge of death's door; though it seemed that he was winning, his body couldn't handle the energy that surged through his body, and he could feel the energy trying to destroy him. He clutched his chest in pain and fell to the ground, scared of what this could mean._

_The duck machine saw this window of opportunity and grabbed the little fox at his throat. "Yes, yes! I knew a little boy such as you couldn't handle the power of the Emeralds!" it laughed insanely. Tails coughed, "L-let me g-go…" The duck only laughed harder. "'L-let me _go…_'" it mocked. "Ahahahaha! Yes, that's it. Scream for mercy!" _

_The energy danced and crackled around his body, hurting him even more, not to mention this cackling idiot was strangling him. He could feel himself drifting away…he had to be near death's door. Then, he snapped. "LET…ME…GO!" Tails screamed, unleashing a burst of energy from his body. The last thing he could hear was that lunatic screaming, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

"_Miles! Miles! Wake up!" Mecha Tails was shaking him, trying to wake him up. "You okay, Miles?" Tails stood up, still shaking. "Y-yeah." "Good, because I think that_ thing_ has a few words he wants to say to you." Mecha Tails said, motioning towards where the lunatic duck-machine lay._

_With an angry look on his face, Tails walked over to it. "Whaddya want?" The machine only cackled insanely. "You…you're…Dr. Robotnik underestimated you…heheheh…the Great Badoru Kukku may fall, but Dr. Ivo Robotnik's Eggman Empire will live on!"_

"_Dr. Robotnik?" Tails asked with a puzzled tone. "I'm guessing that's their leader or somethin'," Mecha Tails guessed. "You're smart, like your creator…but it doesn't matter," the robot said clutching his chest, "Because Dr. Robotnik has your parents…says he wants to do 'experiments'…and he programmed me to self-destruct if…I…ever…ga…ve…ou…t…that…in…fo…rmation…" he said with his voice slowing._

"_Uh-oh," Tails and Mecha Tails said in unison. _

"_You…wi…ll…die…here…wi…th…meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…" the robot said, with its voice stuck on 'eeeeeee' as it started to explode along with the rest of the remains of the Battle Fortress. Then, everything went black…_

_The next thing he could remember was being back home and finding Mecha Tails almost completely destroyed in front of his door. "I…was able to turn into the Sea Fox long enough to get you out…but I'm too damaged to…go…on…" Tails burst out into tears. "Don't say that. I-I could fix you—" _

"_No…Miles…your top priority is to find…your…parents…Do that for me…" With that, Mecha Tails shut down for good. "MECHA TAILS!" Tails was devastated. He attempted to fix Mecha Tails, but it was no good. Tails gazed into the shining golden jewel pendant that his parents had left for him and vowed, "I promise that I'll find my parents and get revenge on the one responsible for this mess…Dr. Robotnik…"_

A month later, Tails had met Sonic…but then, his memories twisted into an unfamiliar scene…

_He couldn't remember where he was anymore, just here…in this collapsing cave where he thought he'd die for sure. A familiar scene, this scene of death…when the two he loved most dearly laid themselves on top of him, shielding him from the falling rocks. "What are you doing!" _

"_Miles…you must go!"_

_He was confused. "W-what do you mean…?"_

"_Miles…go… reach out into the light…"_

"_What light? I can't see—"_

"_The light…within yourself…"_

"_Within myself…? What do you mean? What do you mean!" he screamed in confusion._

"_We love you, Miles…"_

_The meaning was now clear. "No…NO!"_

"_Miles…Miles…**MILES! GET UP! IT'S NOON ALREADY!"**_

"Huh? W-wha?" Tails leaped up in the air clumsily. "A dream…?"

"You had that weird dream again, didn't you?" the grayish robot that was sitting next to him asked.

Tails rubbed his head. "Yep, that same dream, Gemerl. What does it mean…? And why're you here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be with Cream?" Tails said, turning to the robot.

Gemerl crossed his arms. "You were supposed to meet everyone at Emerald Beach, remember? Cream asked me to get you after you didn't show up after awhile. I figured you were working on the _Tornado II _yet again and fell asleep. And no, I didn't tell her about that dream you keep having."

Tails chuckled nervously and stared at a wrench on the ground. "T-thanks…actually, I kinda bumped my head…I couldn't reach the wrench I needed, a-and—"

Gemerl interrupted after looking at the bump on his head. "_OUCH._ That has gotta hurt…"

"It does, but don't tell anybody, please Gemerl?" Tails begged.

"Oh, I won't have to; that nice bloody mark on your head will tell the story _for_ me!" Gemerl chuckled.

Tails felt his head and gasped. "_Aah! _You could've told me it was bleeding, y'know!" Tails yelled as he ran into the bathroom to wash up.

**_I thought it was obvious! _**Gemerl called through the door.

"Y'know, I could always leave it alone and blame it on _you_!" Tails called furiously.

**_Alright, alright, I'll shut up. Geez…_**

Tails began to scrub madly at the bloody bump on his head. _Gah…why me? If I wasn't so clumsy…Gemerl has been hanging out with Sonic again, hasn't he…? Oh well… _As Tails continued to wash his head thoroughly, he thought about those spinning memories. _I keep having these dreams…these memories…_ Tails thought as he gazed into that familiar golden jewel pendant that he wore around his neck._ Mum, dad, I promise to find you, whether you're above the heavens or beneath the sky…_

_**Oh, by the way, it's 12:15 in case you wanted to know,** _Gemerl called.

"AAH! GEMERL! I'M LATE!" Tails rushed out of the bathroom, almost running over Gemerl (MTK: Like in those cartoons). "Whoa! Hey! Don't run me over, kid!" Gemerl said as he caught up to Tails with ease and followed him out the door. "Sorry, didn't see you," Tails said as he ran. "Riiight," Gemerl mumbled to himself sarcastically.

"So, are we gonna take the _Tornado II_?" Gemerl asked as he followed Tails to the _Tornado II_'s hangar.

Tails stopped in front of the hangar and chuckled. "Nah, I think we'll take the train."

Gemerl complained almost immediately. "_WHAT? _That'll take _forever!_"

Tails shook his head and laughed. "I was being sarcastic, Gemerl."

"_Oh,_" Gemerl said more to himself than Tails as he watched the 2-tailed fox go into the hangar while he stayed outside. Gemerl looked at the usual scene he's seen so many times: the palm trees bending downward as Tails prepared the _Tornado II _for take-off. When Tails was visible from the plane's cockpit, Gemerl called to him. "You know that I knew you were kidding, right?"

Tails tried to keep a straight face as he answered, "Never mind that Gemerl, just get in. We're late enough as it is…" Gemerl took his usual spot: Sonic's spot, on the bi-plane's wing. "Yeah, okay. To Emerald Beach!" "Roger. Hold on, Gemerl." With that, Tails gently taxied the _Tornado II_. "Let's go!"

* * *

Meanwhile on Emerald Beach, Sonic and the others were waiting patiently for Tails and Gemerl…well, most of them were. Sonic had tried to get a little sun, relax, listen to the radio…but Amy drove him nuts to the point where he was going to lose sanity. So…he tried to think of something else…like where the heck Tails was. "Where _is _he!" Sonic groaned as he paced around.

A familiar voice called, "Impatient as always, I see."

Sonic glanced behind his shoulder. "Sh-shut up, Shadow."

"Aww, what's wrong, not feeling well?" Shadow smirked.

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Sonic yelled, almost lunging at him.

"Sonic, settle down!" Amy called putting herself between him and Shadow. "You too, Shadow!"

Shadow crossed his arms and looked innocent. "Hmph, I just figured you'd like to play a game, that's all."

Sonic relaxed a little and glared. "Whatcha talkin' about, Shad?"

"You and Amy VS. me and Rouge; the game: Volleyball. Up to the challenge, _faker_?"

_Ooh, that stung. _Sonic chuckled to himself, when was the last time Shadow had called him that? How long was it…5 years perhaps? "Well, it _has _been awhile since I've had a challenge…so bring it on, Shad!"

"Heh, prepare to lose!" Shadow called as he ran to the court.

"Hey, that's _my _line!" Sonic chuckled as he followed Shadow.

* * *

Rouge walked over to Amy and sighed. "What've they gotten themselves into now?" Amy smiled. "Oh…the usual. Just some fight that turns into a fierce contest to see who's better at what."

Rouge slapped her head. "Men…what's the game this time?"

"Volleyball. We're playing too!" Amy called as she grabbed Rouge's hand. "C'mon Rouge! I know that me and my Sonic can beat you and Shad anytime!"

Rouge smirked. "Don't get so full of yourself. It's obvious that Shadow and I will win!" Amy chuckled. "Oh _really_? Bring it on!" she called as she ran with Rouge to the court.

"Hey wait a sec. We don't have a ref!" Sonic chuckled.

"That's no excuse to chicken out, you know," Shadow smirked.

"And no one asked _you_," Sonic said, wanting to hit Shadow but was held back by Amy.

A familiar fat feline's ears pricked up at the suggestion. "Hey hey! Me an' Blaze could keep score!" Big called, dragging Blaze along with him. "Sure! C'mon!" Amy called back. Blaze sighed, "I wish I was home right now…where the heck is Tails?"

* * *

Cream sighed as she continued building up a mini-sandcastle and gazed at the glowing sapphire sea. It had been 5 years since their last adventure together; fighting Eggman, and everyone was relieved at the news that Eggman had finally given up. Those words when they had won that hoverboard competition against Eggman and the Babylon… _"AGHH! I can't believe this…fine! Fine! You win. I'm tired of this game of good-and-evil. I give up. I'm…retiring."_

Just thinking about it made Cream smile. _Eggman gave up his evil ways and we can finally live in peace._ But, the uncomfortable thought of what happened afterward came back to her mind. Sure, everyone could finally be at peace, but, getting older, she realized she had very strong feelings for Tails. She knew that she had known him the longest out of everyone, but…the thought still…disturbed her slightly. She, thinking to herself, probably couldn't accept the fact that she was falling for her closest friend (well, besides Cheese of course). She figured that was the case. She remembered talking to Amy about it.

"_So, you're saying you're getting a crush on Tails?" Amy asked, leaning closer to her embarrassed friend._

"_Y-yes…I think so, Amy. But I don't know why. I've known him before I met Cheese and—"_

"_I didn't know that," Amy interrupted. "Do you mind…telling me about it?"_

"_Not at all." Cream said, not knowing if she told the truth or not. "I was…four, I think. Yeah, it was my fourth birthday, and I remember my papa said he was going to throw me a huge birthday party when he got home from work. I was so excited; mama took me out for ice cream and everything…"_

"_So…what happened?"_

"_He…never came home." Cream sobbed. "He never came home that day. The phone rang, and mama answered it. Her expression changed from calm to sheer horror. When I asked what was wrong…she said…she said…" Cream broke down crying. "She said there was an accident at work. A…fire of some sort. Freak accident. No one survived."_

_Amy patted her friend's back and frowned. "I'm sorry Cream. I didn't know."_

"_I…it's okay, Amy. You understand. I know what happened to your parents."_

_Amy's face twisted in sadness thinking about it. "Yeah. I understand completely."_

"_Yes. Anyway, after hearing the news, I broke down. I wouldn't talk to anyone, and I was barely eating…barely sleeping. But, one day…I was in Mystic Ruins Forest with mama picking flowers, and I got separated from her. I was so scared. So…frightened. That's when I met him._

"_He was lost too, and he held a broken gadget in his hands. He was all beaten up…and yet, he had the courage, love, and strength to say, 'Are you okay?' I was a bit startled, but I nodded. 'I-I-I'm okay. I'm lost.' He nodded. 'Yeah, me too. Do you live around here?' 'I-I…live right next to the Chao Garden. Under the mountain.' I answered. He smiled. 'Really? I live on top of that mountain!' 'Wow…' 'Yeah, but it won't last long.' 'How come?'_

"_Tails explained that his old house was there, but he was moving the next day to a nearby island called Koko Island. He said he was relieved because of all the bullies here in Mystic Ruins, but he was still scared of leaving. He had lived here his whole life, and, of course, he knew Mystic Ruins like the back of his hand because he was made fun of so much and had to know escape routes. 'And those bullies knew I was moving tomorrow and beat me up.' 'Why do they beat you up?' 'I'm the smartest in my class…and I have two tails…not to mention my funny-sounding name.' 'What is your name?' He hesitated, then said 'Miles Prower.'_

"_We were friends ever since. Tails was the first person I had spoken to since papa's accident. We wandered through the forest for awhile, and that's when we both learned how to fly together. When it came time to part with him, he promised to me he'd come back to Mystic Ruins someday to be with me, because I was the only person who seemed to like him, despite his twin-tails and his funny name."_

"_Aww! Even though you two were really little…that's _so _romantic!" Amy shouted, wondering why _Sonic_ wasn't that romantic with _her

_Cream blushed. "Y-yeah…we kept in touch via email until this whole thing with Eggman started up. But he kept his promise; he came back."_

"_Yes! You two are destined to be with each other!" Amy declared._

"_Really?"_

"_Yes! Just like me and my Sonic are!"_

Cream laughed when she remembered Amy's words, declaring that she and Tails were destined to be together. But Cream promised herself that no matter how strong her feelings for Tails were, she wouldn't go all crazy like Amy had. But then, the doubting question came to her mind. _I know I have feelings for Tails…but does he have any for _me She remembered that no matter how much he didn't want to admit it, Sonic had feelings for Amy. And, at a time, Knuckles was the same way about Rouge…until Luna showed up. But did Tails have any feelings for her at all? Her faithful companion Cheese cooed and tried to cheer her up.

In the past five years, Cheese had evolved into an elegant Hero-Flying chao. Her head had 4 shiny purple nubs on it, and she had glowing royal blue eyes. Her hands and feet were a soft pale orange, and her body was a bright yellow. She had brilliant rainbow wings and a shiny green halo floating above her head. And, to top it all off, she still wore her favorite little, now faded, red bow that Cream had given to her all those years ago.

Cream smiled and patted the little chao's head. "You're a good friend Cheese…" Her voice trailed off and turned into the question that everyone was asking: "Where are you Tails?"

* * *

Knuckles and Luna watched the volleyball game from a distance. "Who do you think's gonna win, Knuckles?" Luna asked as she watched the game.

Knuckles crossed his arms and adjusted his sunglasses. "Eh…not like I care, but probably Shad."

Luna smiled and rubbed his head playfully. "That's what I thought you'd say…you really have a strong rivalry with Sonic, don't you?"

Knuckles was a bit stunned at the question. "W-what? Why do you care about that all of a sudden? What, you're rooting for Sonic?"

"…Maybe, maybe not." Luna grinned.

"Would you answer me, Luna!" Knuckles yelled in a rage.

Before they got into a fight, however, Cream walked to them. "Hi guys…have you seen Tails yet? I'm getting worried…" Knuckles stopped and turned to Cream with a kind face. "I'm sure he's fine; he probably overslept again."

"B-but today's special…he promised he wouldn't be late this time…" Cream sobbed. "Tails chao chao…" Cheese cooed, trying to cheer Cream up.

Luna patted Cream on the shoulder. "Oh, don't cry Cream. I'm sure Gemerl has gotten him up and ready to go; they're probably on a smooth flight over here. I'm sure of it." Knuckles cracked his knuckles. "Yeah, don't you worry Cream. I'll talk some _sense _into him when he gets here. Going and worrying you like this…"

Cream laughed slightly. "Um…t-thank you Knuckles…" _Though I hope he goes easy on Tails…_ Luna started to walk off towards the volleyball game. "But, until they get here, who wants to watch some volleyball?"

* * *

"Score is tied, 28-28. Sonic and Amy's serve," Blaze called out. Sonic glared intensely at his opponents at the other side of the net. And Amy, of course was right next to him. "Yeah! C'mon Sonic, 2 more points and we win. Let's show them what we're made of!" Amy cheered. Sonic's eyes met Amy's for a brief moment, and then he said, "Yeah, you hear that, Shad? Time to show you what we're made of!"

"Bring it," Shadow called arrogantly, pointing to Sonic. With a little chuckle, Sonic threw the ball up…and struck it hard. "Ha!" But…he struck it a little too hard, and it went zooming past Shadow and Rouge in mid-air, and went straight across the ocean behind them until it wasn't visible anymore. Everyone was lost for words. Sonic chuckled nervously, "Uhh, I guess I showed him what I'm made of after all…eheheh…"

Knuckles crossed his arms. "So, who's point was that?" Shadow smirked. "That was an obvious out." "_WHAT? No way,_ we should get two points for that," Sonic argued.

"Hey, settle down you guys," Amy called, waving her arms. "Yeah, guys. Let's let the ref decide if it was in or out," Rouge reasoned.

All eyes went on Blaze. "Why me?" she stammered. "Well, 'cause you're ref since Shad spiked the ball into Big's head and knocked him out," Sonic chuckled. Shadow pretended he didn't hear that and glared at Sonic. "…Okay, fine. You want my honest opinion?" Blaze asked a bit nervously. "YES!" everyone yelled.

"Well then, I say it was—" Blaze was interrupted by a loud roaring sound that was piercing the air. Everyone looked up to see what the noise was.

Big awoke from the noise and yelled, "It's a bird!"

"It's a plane!" Amy shouted.

"Yeah, a familiar plane at that," Sonic said, pointing to the dot that was becoming more and more visible from the sky. Shadow squinted at the growing dot. "For once, Sonic's right. Isn't that the _Tornado II_…?"

Cream gasped. "_No._ Can't be…" Amy went over and patted Cream's shoulder. "Sorry, but I think it is." Screams could now be heard from the crashing _Tornado II_. "HEY! YOU GUYS! GET OUTTA THE WAY!" "WE'RE GONNA CRASH!"

At this point, only Blaze, Luna, and Knuckles could hear them distinctly from this distance. Blaze shouted, "That's the _Tornado II _alright, and they're gonna crash!"

"Well, you heard her. _RUN_!" Sonic yelled.

Sonic scooped up Amy in his arms and ran out of the way, Shadow ran with Rouge flying by his side, Cream flew with Cheese, Knuckles and Luna ran, and Blaze grabbed Big (somehow…) and hovered, following the others. They all watched as the crashing _Tornado II _came lower and lower, spinning out of control, until…

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" _Thud_. The _Tornado II _crashed right where Sonic and the others were playing volleyball. Everyone wondered what had happened as Tails and Gemerl got out of the crashed plane. Tails chuckled nervously. "Eheheh…hi guys, sorry I'm late."

* * *

Sorry it was so long! NYA! By the way, Tails' first flashback was related to _Tails Adventure_ (the second one…wasn't), and when Cream was thinking about the hoverboard competition, yup…you guessed it: _Sonic Riders_. I know that game isn't out yet, but oh well. I'm going by what I know.Anyway, see ya! - MikomiTheKitsune 


	2. Surprise?

MikomiTheKitsune here! Chapter 2 is up :D (finally...)

I do not own the Sonic the Hedgehog series, (oh but how I wish I did) and this story has no relation to the Sonic the Hedgehog series whatsoever; this is just a fan-fiction from my weird fan girl imagination. But I will tell you what I _do _own. Luna the Echidna belongs to me, MikomiTheKitsune, and cannot be used without my permission. I didn't try to copy anyone's story, so if there are any character and/or plot similarities, it's complete coincidence (or _you're _copying _me_!).

Tails' Tale

By MikomiTheKitsune

Chapter 2 – Surprise!...?

All eyes were glued on Tails and Gemerl. Tails chuckled nervously.

"Eheh…surprise!"

"Hey, wait a minute…aren't _we _supposed to say that?" Sonic chuckled as he brought Gemerl over next to him. Tails was a bit confused. "What're you talking about, Sonic…?"

With that, everyone smiled. "SURPRISE!"

Tails almost fell over in astonishment. "W-what…?" Sonic patted his best buddy on the back as a huge sign popped out from the ground: _**Happy Birthday Tails!** _was printed in bright blue letters.

Tails was slightly embarrassed. "Aw, you guys shouldn't have…you guys remembered!" Amy smiled and cheered, "Of course we remembered Tails! Why wouldn't we? After all, it _is _your Lucky 13th birthday!"

Gemerl crossed his arms. "Yeah, even though _you're_ always working in that workshop of yours, _we _still remembered," he said bluntly. Hearing this, Amy hit Gemerl upside the head. "OWW!"

"Gemerl, you have better manners than that, you know," Amy scolded. _Not when he's been around Sonic…_Tails chuckled as he saw Gemerl act exactly as Sonic would when he'd get hit.

"Can we just get to the part when he opens the gifts and everyone's all happy and stuff?" Shadow complained, crossing his arms in frustration. "Not until we give Tails his birthday cake! Cream, Rouge, Blaze and I baked it ourselves," Amy said as she brought out a huge cake. Everyone besides the chefs were astonished at the size of the thing; Sonic commented that it could be the size of Eggman, which earned him a smack in the head. "OK, time to sing!" Amy cheered as she grabbed a microphone from her karaoke machine. "HAPP--"

"…No way, I am _not _singing the 'happy birthday' song. Ever." Shadow interrupted as he turned away.

"Aw, c'mon Shadow! That's no fun," Amy cried. "Yeah, Shadow. You wouldn't even sing for _me_?" Rouge asked as she gazed lovingly into his eyes. He averted his gaze. "…Not even for you." Shadow declared. "Hmph." Rouge kicked Shadow as she said, "You're still built pretty tough…real or artificial, men are still men." Shadow winced. "…Fine. Just this once. You'd better appreciate this, kid," he said, looking at the little kitsune. He nodded, knowing Shadow hates to sing.

Tails couldn't help but chuckle when everyone started to sing the traditional 'Happy Birthday' song. Sonic, Knuckles, and Gemerl were _completely _off-key, Shadow sounded outright scary (no wonder he didn't want to sing), and Big was…well, Big. Tails almost broke down laughing when they were all done. But Sonic and Gemerl decided to add in the extra 'How old are you now?' bit, continuing in their off-key voices as everyone else stopped singing. They barely finished before being hit on the head by Amy and Blaze.

"Now, see Shadow? That wasn't so bad," Sonic commented after being hit by Amy yet again. "Says you, hedgehog," Shadow said, glaring at the blue hedgehog with a cold stare. "Well, _I _think you sounded just fine, Shadow," Rouge said, giving him a peck on the cheek. Shadow turned a little red and said, "Could we _please_ get to the presents now…?"

"Y-yeah, I'd like to open my presents," Tails said immediately in Shadow's aid. Shadow mouthed the words 'Thank you,' as Knuckles barreled through holding a gift.

"Outta the way, outta the way! I'm first!" Knuckles yelled as he made his way to Tails. "This is from Luna an' me. Hope you like it," he mumbled, crossing his arms. It was a medium-sized box, which surprised Tails a bit. Knuckles was the 'bigger is better' type; last year, Tails got an Eggman punching bag. Tails was especially surprised when he saw the present was a pair of red gloves with an emerald embedded in each one and Knuckles' trademark spikes on them. "I sewed the gloves myself. Do you like them, Tails?" Luna called as she walked over. Tails nodded. "Yeah, they're really cool. Thanks, Luna."

"THE SPIKES WERE MY IDEA THOUGH!" Knuckles yelled so that the whole world could hear him. "Yes, yes, I think Tails knew that hon," Luna patted Knuckles on the back as she continued, "Those emeralds can generate a force field at any given time. Better safe than sorry, right?" Tails put them on. "Yeah, you never know."

"Oh yeah, the Chaotix wanted us to give this to you since they couldn't make it," Luna said as she handed him a card that looked like it was done by a little kid:

**Hiya Tails,**

**Sorry we couldn't make it to your birthday party.**

**A big case came up and we needed some more dough. $$$$$$$$**

**So, we hope you have a happy birthday anyway!**

**The Chaotix Detective Agency**

**PS: We're low on dough, so we couldn't get you a present; sorry**

"I figured as much," Tails sighed, "I thought they gave up on the whole 'detective' thing." "Nah, Vector found some of his old _Sherlock Holmes _books from when he was a kid and got a burst of inspiration," Luna said as she tried to keep a straight face. Tails chuckled, "No wonder. I feel bad for Espio and Charmy." "Me too."

He continued to open the stack of presents. Amy had knitted him a bright red scarf, which he was prompted to put on ASAP. Rouge and Shadow made him an Emerald radar in case his broke, Blaze got him the newest book on electrical engineering from her dimension, and Big…caught Tails a fish. Tails thanked Big for the fish nervously as Sonic came over with another gift.

"This is from me, buddy. Hope you like it," Sonic said as he handed the gift to Tails. Tails opened it to find brand-new sneakers. They looked a lot like Tails' old sneakers, but they had a golden band between the red and white, and it had a little blue 'Sonic' logo. "It's been a half a decade since we first met, remember? I figured I'd stay in tradition, y'know?" Tails nodded. He remembered, when they first met, Sonic had given him some new sneakers as a sign of friendship. _"Here, Tails. From now on, we'll be best buddies through thick and thin!" "OK!"_

Tails immediately put on the new sneakers and smiled. "Thanks Sonic." "Hey, that's what best friends are for, right?" Sonic grinned. "Yeah!"

"Hey Tails, y'know there's one present left," Gemerl nudged Tails. Tails looked to where the present stack was before. "Uh, I don't see any—"

Gemerl pointed to Cream, who was waiting by the beach for a certain someone. "She's waiting for you, kid."

"She wants to see _you alone,_ Tails," Rouge said, winking at the embarrassed little kitsune.

"C'mon Tails! She's waiting!" Amy cheered.

"Go on, Tails," Luna and Blaze called.

"…Go already," Shadow said, crossing his arms.

"Duh…da bunny wants to see you, Tails," Big said, copying everyone else.

Knuckles punched Tails on the shoulder, then said, "You worried her sick, kid. Now go to her."

"Go ahead, little buddy. We won't spy on you two," Sonic said, patting Tails on the back. "P-promise…?" Tails whispered into his best friend's ear.

"Promise. Now go."

With that, Tails walked over nervously to the little rabbit that was waiting for him. "…Cream?"

---

NYA! Chapter 3's next! -MikomiTheKitsune


	3. The Call

MTK here! Ch. 3 is up!

I do not own the Sonic the Hedgehog series, but Luna the Echidna belongs to me, MikomiTheKitsune, and cannot be used without my permission.

Tails' Tale

By MikomiTheKitsune

Chapter 3-- The Call

"…Cream?"

"Tails," came the breathless reply. Cream turned slowly to her friend, nervous and unsure of what to say. _Shouldn't I just ask him? But…but…I don't know if he thinks we're just friends or--_

"I-I'm sorry, Cream."

Cream looked up in shock. "What?"

"I-I promised I wouldn't be late and I…I really must've worried you, huh?"

Cream couldn't deny that. "Yes, a little bit…but um…" Her face turned red.

Tails' ears pricked in confusion. "Why're you blushing Cream?" His question made him blush a little himself. "A-are you OK?"

"Er…um…Tails?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you, um…what do you think about me?" Cream finally blurted out.

Tails was still confused. "What do you mean?"

Cream didn't know how to explain. "U-um, well, you know, we've known each other since we were really young and all…"

"…Yeah…?"

"A-and…and I…" Cream stammered nervously as she tried to come up with the correct wording.

"Oh COME ON! Would ya just say it already girl? You're driving me _crazy!" _a voice called out.

Cream and Tails whirled around in shock trying to figure out who just said that. "Gemerl, hush!" they heard another voice say. Tails felt anger and embarrassment flush through his face. "Sonic…Gemerl…" he said in a low voice, "What do you think you're doing?"

Sonic and Gemerl popped up from behind a surfboard. "What's it look like? Spying."

Sonic glared at Gemerl. "Shut up, Gemerl."

"OK," Gemerl complied.

Tails was enraged. "YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T SPY!"

"I-I know, but…A-Amy's the one who--"

"SHUT UP!" Tails didn't want to hear any of his stupid excuses.

"I…um…Tails?" Cream said.

Tails turned to turned to Cream to apologize, but she simply said, "Here," putting a shiny golden object in his hands before flying off in embarrassment.

"C-Cream…I…" It took a moment to sink in before he realized that she had flown off. "Dammit, now she's _gone! _Thanks a lot, guys!" Tails snapped at the two idiots who were supposedly more mature than him. "I'm going home."

With that, Tails scooped up all of his gifts and flew off without a second thought.

Sonic and Gemerl only stood in stunned silence staring at where the scene just took place. "Well, that went well," Sonic sighed sarcastically.

Amy walked over to them. "I finished cleaning everything up."

Sonic had almost forgotten about her and jumped up in surprise. "Oh, uh, hi Amy. Where'd everyone go?"

Amy shrugged. "They all left…guess they had things to do. So? How'd it go?"

"Oh it went _very _well," Sonic repeated his sarcastic comment.

Amy glared at him. She knew he had screwed something up. "What happened?" she asked in a stern tone.

"Well, uh--"

"Let me guess: they caught you and they both flew off in embarrassment?"

"Uh, well, yeah, pretty much." Sonic sighed. _Here it comes…_He prepared to defend himself. "Well look, it's all Gemerl's fault for spouting off like he did and getting all impatient and--"

Amy smiled. "And whose fault would that be, Sonic Hedgehog?"

Sonic paused and slapped his forehead. _I _hate _it when she's right. _"Well, uh--"

"Listen…what was Tails' reaction when Cream flew off?" Amy asked in an overly-polite voice that made Sonic shiver.

Sonic had no idea why she would possibly want to know that, but told Amy Tails' exact quote before flying off anyway. Amy smiled again. "Good."

Sonic cocked his head in confusion. "'Good'? What do you mean?"

"It proves what I've been trying to tell Cream for years: He _does _like her, he's just too shy to admit it. Just like someone else I know," Amy winked at Sonic.

"W-what?" Sonic stammered. "You wouldn't happen to be referring to _me, _would you?"

"Maybe." Amy gave Sonic a peck on the cheek. "Let's go home. Hey Gemerl, do you mind checking on Cream?"

Gemerl stayed silent, and Sonic knew why. "…Gemerl, you can talk now."

Gemerl complied. "OK."

* * *

_Stupid Sonic. Stupid Gemerl. _Tails sighed as he rolled around restlessly on his bed. He was hoping to finally admit his feelings to Cream just to get it over with…_And then _they_ went and screwed it up. Now I'll never know how she feels…_

Tails sighed again. "Man, I'm stupid. I don't even know if it's mutual. She could just think we're just friends or something…" _But what about what she was trying to ask me? Could that've been…?_

He paused and laughed at the argument with himself. _It was only five years ago that I was making fun of this paradox called 'love'. Hah. Love is stupid and crazy…well, not as crazy as Eggman. _Well, he could have some peace of mind there, at least. _We'll never have to deal with _him_ anymore…_

It was then when he realized that he had rushed off so fast that he never bothered to even look at Cream's present. He still held it in his hand unconsciously as if he couldn't live without it. He opened his hand to find that it was a little golden locket in the shape of a heart. Upon opening it, he found a picture of the two of them smiling together, back on the day that they had met. He sighed once more. _Cream…_

_

* * *

_

_How _does _he feel? _Cream sighed as she gazed down at the Chao Garden from a cliff top. Cream chuckled bitterly. _I'm an idiot. He'd never be interested in me…not after embarrassing him on his birthday…_

Cheese flew over to try and console her again. "Choo…chao chao." Cream giggled and patted Cheese's head. "Oh Cheese, I'm silly, aren't I? I'm too young to worry about stuff like this, huh?"

Cheese put her hands on her hips and chirped indignantly.

Cream smiled. "True. Amy was only a year older than me when she was chasing Sonic, huh…?" Cream sighed again. "I can't be moping around all day…I should get back home. Let's go, Cheese."

Cheese chirped happily and flew by her side.

_

* * *

_

…_**RING RING RING! RING RING RING! PHONE CALL! PHONE CALL!**_

Tails pushed his pillow over his head, trying to block out the irritating voice of his automated phone. It then dawned on him that he had dozed off earlier. _I guess I _haven't _been sleeping well. _

He got up groggily as the answering machine picked up. _"Hey Tails? It's Luna. I was wondering…do you mind coming to Angel Island for a sec? Me and Knuckles want to talk to you about something…important. So, um, yeah, see you in a bit I guess! Bye!"_

Tails' ears drooped low. _Luna? They never call here…_He thought over the message left. '_Something important'…why do I have this sinking feeling…? _Tails shook his head. "Meh, it's probably nothing. I should get the…"

Tails flew over to the hangar to find that it was empty. "…Tornado II." _What the heck?! Where's…oh yeah. I left it on Emerald Beach…_Tails slapped his forehead. _This is _not _my day…_

* * *

After retrieving his plane, he set off for Angel Island. The flight itself was, as usual, very uneventful, so he allowed his mind to wander a bit. He tried to focus on checking on how the performance of the plane was using his newly mixed fuel along with some new design modifications, but his thoughts kept straying back to Cream. _Ack! Why can't I concentrate?! I know that _she's _the reason I'm working so hard, but--_

His mind was cut off by the sound of a warning blare from his plane's screen. "What the--?"

Green beams shot through the air, aiming at his plane. _Luna. But why's she shooting at me? _After spinning his plane around to avoid the shots, he remembered the extensive range of hearing for an echidna. "Hey Luna! It's ME! Don't shoot!" Tails screamed at the top of his lungs.

The shots ceased. _That did it. _After letting out a big sigh of relief, he assessed the plane's damage. It wasn't too severe, but it was enough to throw off flight performance. _I better land before the wings give out..._

He landed the plane right next to where a small hut was placed on the island. _That wasn't there last time…I wonder if Knuckles built it? _He thought as he hopped out of the cockpit to meet the deep sapphire eyes of an angry echidna.

Correction, furious echidna. "What the hell're _you_ doing here?!" Knuckles yelled as he smacked Tails upside the head.

"OW! Hey what was _that _for?" Tails snapped.

"Hey, that's enough of that, Asahi!" Luna said as she approached the two enraged boys and smacked Knuckles on the head.

"Knuckles," Knuckles mumbled as he backed off from his hyper girlfriend.

"Right, sorry. Still getting used to it." Luna turned to Tails. "Don't scare us like that, Tails. Could you please tell us when you're going to come next time? We thought it was another robot-thing."

"Robot-thing?" Tails' ears drooped in confusion. "But, you're the one who called me here in the first place, Luna. Is it about this robot you saw?"

Luna's pleasant smile fell to a frown. "When'd I call you?"

"On the phone, remember?"

Now it was Luna's turn to be confused. "Phone? What's that?"

Knuckles saved Luna the trouble of trying to figure it out. "Tails, we don't have a phone, remember? There aren't exactly phone-line-pole-things here on the Floating Island," Knuckles said for lack of a better term considering he hates the city.

"But what's a phone?" Luna asked again.

Tails gasped, ignoring Luna's question. "But then…who called me?"

A somewhat familiar voice broke into the conversation. "The sexiest treasure hunter around, of course."

Everyone's attention shifted to where the source of the voice was. Knuckles' eyes widened in shock. "Wait a minute, what're _you_ doing here?"

* * *

I LOVE cliffhangers. Well, typing 'em anyway. -grin- Please review! --MTK 


	4. Betrayals and Plans

MTK here! Ch. 4 is up…and I just noticed something. This was originally going to be one of those 'Tails Origin' fics, but after reading it over, it's leaning more toward a Creails-oriented fic. Huh. Well, I'm not complaining. Might change the summary, but otherwise, the story's the same.

I was debating about splitting this chapter in half, but finally decided against it…so this chapter may be a little longer than usual. -shrugs-

I do not own the Sonic the Hedgehog series, but Luna the Echidna belongs to me, MikomiTheKitsune, and cannot be used without my permission. I also came up with the term "Shadow-Phi" for the Shadow Androids in my story (because the Shadow the Hedgehog game wasn't out yet when I first started this fic) but the Shadow Androids themselves are SEGA and Sonic Team's idea. Phew!

Tails' Tale

By MikomiTheKitsune

Chapter 4-- Betrayals And Plans

"I asked you a question, bat girl," Knuckles growled again, "What're _you_ doing here?"

Rouge smirked down at the unsuspecting fools. "What? Do I have to call you first too? Oh, but wait…how can I if you don't have a phone?"

"Will _somebody _tell me what a phone is?!" Luna yelled.

"Rouge…" Tails began, ignoring Luna, "What do you mean you called me? What's going on?" _And what's with the outfit…?_

Her outfit is what bugged Tails more than anything else. It wasn't because it showed off every curve a woman could have, and it wasn't because it was actually a black jumpsuit that revealed no skin whatsoever (a big surprise from Rouge). It was the silver logo that was printed on her chest…the one he thought he was finally free from. _Isn't that…Dr. Eggman's…?!_

Rouge chuckled at the fox boy's stunned reaction. "Now, you see? I don't have to explain anything."

"Yes, you do." Knuckles punched his fists together. "Like why the hell you chose such a horrible fashion sense now of all times…if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were working for Eggman."

Rouge shrugged. "Well, that's up for you to decide, Knuckles." She winked at them. "Anyway, thanks for the Emeralds. I'll take my leave now…"

"Hey, wait--" Knuckles didn't get far before the island began shaking under his feet. "Shoot! You…"

"Have fun, Knuckie!" Rouge blew him a kiss before flying away.

"Argh! Damn it--" Knuckles punched the ground in frustration. "How'd she--"

"I…I don't understand." Tails' ears drooped low, wondering what the heck was going on. "I thought that Eggman was finally going to retire…and, now assuming that he hasn't, why is Rouge working with him? It doesn't make sense…"

"That's what you gotta go after her!"

Tails jumped up from Knuckles' harsh tone of voice. "K-Knuckles?"

Knuckles glared at the kit. "Go already! We're not going to get any answers with you just standing there!"

"But what about--"

"We have to stay here," Luna said. "With all of the Emeralds forcibly removed like this, we have to make sure the Hidden Palace Zone's seal on the Super Emeralds doesn't weaken…or worse."

Knuckles stood up to face Tails at eye level. "Believe me, I'd love the chance to beat that bat girl to a pulp again, but now's not the time. You're the one with the brains and the plane, now _go after her already!_"

Luna nodded. "Yes, go on, 'Only One Who Can Stand Against Him'. We'll be alright." She winked at a very confused Tails.

Tails opened his mouth to question her, when another rumble from the falling island closed it. Now silenced, he flew over to the _Tornado II _and managed to taxi it off the island without any major problems.

Knuckles rolled his eyes and began to walk over to Luna. "_Finally. _Persistent kid…now, we should get g--"

Knuckles stopped in his tracks as he looked at his girlfriend with great uncertainty. "…Luna? Are you okay?"

Luna broke the eerie silence with an eerie voice. "Y'know…you were wrong before, Asahi."

Knuckles ignored her usage of his real name to question her. "What do you mean?"

"When you said that standing around wasn't going to get any answers." Luna glowered at him, a maniacal gleam in her eyes. "_We're _standing around, and now I'm going to get you to tell me WHAT THE HECK A FREAKIN' PHONE IS!"

* * *

_Well…Luna was acting weirder than normal. _Tails shrugged it off and set his sights on Rouge's airship that was just ahead of him. Luckily for him, it wasn't all that hard to find the small white bat-shaped plane since he had left the floating island immediately. He tapped a few buttons on the _Tornado II's _screen, and it switched into a targeting screen. After targeting Rouge's ship in his cross-hairs, he fired a few rounds of laser shots at her, which connected on the side of her plane. 

Tails could see the smoke from the damaged area, but he didn't feel relieved. Instead, a feeling of doubt nagged at him relentlessly. Something in the scenario felt off to him. In fact, everything was off. _Eggman's back…Rouge working with him…and…_

Tails realized, _This is too easy._

"Have you figured it out yet, fox boy?" Rouge's voice came out of an intercom on her 'Bat Cruiser'.

Tails thought about it for a second. "…You wanted me to follow you?"

"Good boy! I knew you could figure it out." Rouge turned her ship around to face the _Tornado II_. Tails saw the smug look on Rouge's face and found himself glaring back at her. She chuckled. "Well then, why do you think that is?"

Tails paused. "…Because you wanted to lure me into a trap."

"Bingo! Aren't you a smart fox?"

A flurry of robotic bats came pouring out of Rouge's ship, charging straight at the _Tornado II. _Tails gritted his teeth and pulled a trigger, converting the _Tornado II _into its jet fighter mode. The second the plane finished its transformation, Tails pulled it into a tight barrel roll that, to Tails' surprise, blew away all of the bats with a bright energy flash recognized as Chaos Energy. _How'd…?_

Tails tensed his hands on the _Tornado II's _controls, now noticing the red spiked-Emerald gloves that he was still wearing. _These maybe?_

"Game over, kid."

Tails snapped up his head to give an inquisitive look at Rouge. "What are you talking--"

The all-too familiar warning blare sounded from the _Tornado II's _screen. It showed a picture of his plane, a blinking red flash coming from the plane's wings and the engine. Tails instantly comprehended the scene, and finally figured out where Rouge's confidence had come from. _No! I forgot about the wings…!_

"I see you _finally _get it, fox boy." Rouge stretched her arms above her head. "That trick you pulled only aided in your downfall. Thanks for making my job easier."

_Dammit! _The warning blare became louder and faster as the _Tornado II's _became consumed in flames. _They're giving out…! _Tails tugged at the controls, but nothing he did could stop the _Tornado II _from continuing its speedy descent to the ocean. He took a deep breath, awaiting the inevitable plunge in the depths…

…Only to have it knocked out of him by a painful electric surge that blacked out his senses…

* * *

Cream felt a twinge of fear as she stared down at the waterfall of the Mystic Ruins Chao Garden. She clutched her chest, wishing for the pain to go away. Finally, she took a deep breath and sighed. 

"Chao chao?" Cheese questioned fearfully.

Cream shook her head. "It's nothing, Cheese." _But I wonder what that was…_

"Hey, Cream!"

Cream turned from where she was sitting and smiled back at the friendly face. "Hey, Amy." She motioned for her to sit down, which Amy did.

"Are you alright?" Amy asked in a worried tone. "I had asked Gemerl to check in on you yesterday, but I guess he--"

Cream shook her head. "He came. He's just helping Mom with some grocery shopping in Station Square right now. They should be back anytime now…" Cream raised an eyebrow. "So, what are you doing here? I thought you and Sonic would be out on another one of your…'adventures'."

Amy laughed and shook her head. "No, no. I just wanted to check on you." She dusted off her magenta sweatpants and watched the dirt fall down to the water below. "So? How are you?"

Cream faked a smile. "I'm fine."

"Liar." Amy waved her classic as-a-matter-of-fact finger at her friend. "You only come up here when you're feeling down. So?" she persisted.

When Cream didn't respond quickly enough for her, Amy pried further. "It's about Tails, isn't it?"

Cream sighed again and let her ears droop around the sides of her face, trying to block her depression from Amy. That answered her question. "Well, I have some good news for you."

Cream didn't seem to feel any better. "What?"

Amy grinned. "I have undeniable proof that Tails loves you! For sure!"

Cream jumped up in the air. "Wha?! Reall--" She paused, then realized who she was talking to. Her confidence sank into an exasperated scowl.

Amy returned the dirty look and put her hands on her hips. "Oh, just come with me!"

Amy tugged at Cream's wrist and led her out of the Chao Garden's cave. Cream went willingly, her mind still lost in her thoughts. _I don't know why…I feel this way…_

Cream could see Amy trying to talk with her casually, but the words were being blanked out of her mind. _But… _Amy and Cheese looked worriedly at Cream, but her gaze was up in the sky, where she felt another pang of fear. _I'm really worried about…him…_

* * *

Tails slowly opened his eyelids, heavy with exhaustion. He started with a quick jerk when he saw the familiar gleam of the doctor's blue glasses reflecting back at him. He struggled to get away from him, only to be stopped by the metal rings that bound his wrists, ankles, and tails to a cold metal chair in the chilled metal room. 

"Well, well…so the little fox awakens." The doctor grinned from ear to ear. Something about the smile chilled Tails worse than the chair he was strapped to. Normally, this man wouldn't scare him this much; in fact, under normal circumstances, Eggman would be a joke compared to other villains he and his friends had faced: Eggman Nega, Metalla, Black Arms, the Great Badoru Kukku…but now…

"What's wrong?" Dr. Eggman cackled. "Not so tough without your little friend Sonic, are you?"

Tails glared at him. "Where am I?"

Eggman opened his arms extravagantly. "My dear fox, you are in a torture cell of my new improved Egg Carrier III, of course!"

Tails stared down the man with distaste. _Great…I thought we were finally free of you…_ "So, does this mean you're holding off on your retirement?"

Eggman crossed his arms. "I am _the _Eggman! And I will gain the rule of terror that I deserve!"

Tails chuckled silently. It was still the same old Eggman; he just had nerves from earlier…yeah, that was it. "So what's your 'brilliant scheme' _this_ time, Eggman? Releasing rabid chao on Mobius?"

Eggman sighed overdramatically and pushed a bright blue button on the metal table next to him, causing Tails' body to be filled with a painful pulsating electricity that made him scream and choke. "No, I have thought of something better than _that_, fox. Though a filthy brat like _you _doesn't deserve to hear the beauty of it."

Tails was still trying to regain control of his swimming senses, and couldn't reply. So someone else replied for him. "Oh, Eggman. You might as well tell him about it…it's not like there's anything he can do now."

Rouge strutted into the room, showing off her black Eggman jumpsuit once again. Tails managed a frown. "Rouge…please…tell me why you're doing this! What about Shadow…?"

"To be blunt, the good doctor offered me a generous amount of jewels if I helped him out…" Rouge winked at Tails. "And, as you know, I just _love _jewels."

Tails unintentionally blushed, then set his face to a scowl. Before he could say anything in response, Eggman pressed a yellow button that sent a quick jolt of electricity into his body, just for the heck of it. "Tee-hee! I _do _love my electrocution machine…too bad _I'm _not the one who's going to kill you," Eggman giggled, enjoying the kit's pain a little too much.

Tails simply glared at the insane doctor as he continued to speak. "Very well, I'll tell you my plan, fox."

Eggman turned away and stared his rambling session. "Over the years, I've realized that with the group of you animal rebels, my plans were always going awry. 'Why'? I asked myself. 'I used to be more successful! What am I doing wrong'? Then, it came to me…"

The doctor took a fast stride over to the strapped kitsune to gleam his psychotic silver eyes over his shades at him. "…My conscience finally told me, 'You were so successful in the old days, why don't you go back to basics…' You remember my 'basics', don't you Tails?"

Tails knew. "Robotici--"

Eggman interrupted Tails with another electrical shock. "_YES! _Roboticizers! Mobius will submit to me and become my robotic slaves! Just like the old days…"

As soon as Tails caught his breath, he snapped right back. "Sonic'll stop you…just like he always does!"

Eggman merely laughed again. "Oh, but my dear fox…I believe he'll be too busy to do anything to me. Allow me to present Exhibit B…"

Rouge brought out a remote control and pressed a dull black button. Tails cringed, bracing himself for another electric shock, which never came. Instead, the room became filled with familiar black hedgehogs…

"Shadow?" Tails asked in incomprehension.

"Shadow clones, to be exact," Rouge said, crossing her arms. "Eggman made these Shadow Androids when he recovered Shadow from the Ark incident."

Eggman threw his arms in the air. "Sonic had a hard enough time with _one _Shadow, but with my Shadow-Phi Android Army, he won't even be able to touch me!"

Tails ground his teeth. _Damn…then what are we supposed to--_

His thought was interrupted by yet another gleeful electric shock, courtesy of Dr. Eggman. "And now that I have all seven Chaos Emeralds AND the Master Emerald, I can power up my new battleship, the Death Egg II! Then, with my new power source, I can unleash my ultimate roboticizer on all of Mobius!"

Tails cocked his head unsteadily, his body screaming for relief. "N-new…p-p-power source…?"

Eggman beamed at the injured fox. Tails' stomach twisted into a deep knot of fear. He remembered how the roboticizers had run back when he and Sonic were first fighting Eggman together. Sonic had told him how they had run off of the life forces of innocent animals…Tails had a sick feeling, and it wasn't just from the disorientation of the electrical torture.

"Yes, my new power source…maybe you know her."

Tails' ears pricked up. _No…_

"She's currently living in the Mystic Ruins region, near the Chao Garden…she has a little chao of her own, as a matter of fact." Eggman mocked a sympathetic look. "Cream is such a sweet girl, don't you think? I think she truly is the best candidate for my new roboticizer…"

Tails finally lost it. "If you lay one finger on her…" Unusual energy sparks danced around Tails' body as he screamed, "I'LL KILL YOU!"

Eggman actually showed a look of fear at the imprisoned kit as he continued to glow with a dark aura. Finally, when it became apparent that if this went on that Tails could break free, Eggman hit multiple buttons on the metal table that sent enough electricity into Tails' body to knock him out instantly. Rouge stared down at Tails' ragged body with genuine pity. Eggman noticed. "He's not dead. Yet, at least…"

Dr. Eggman began to walk out of the room, waving back at Rouge. "I trust you'll dispose of him, Rouge?"

Rouge sighed, not bothering to turn back to look at him. "…Yeah."

As soon as Rouge could make sure that Eggman had left the room, she chuckled, taking the golden pendant that was around Tails' neck into her palm to gaze at its wonder. _Well, well…so this is the famed 'Eighth Emerald' that I've heard so much about…to think that _Tails_ of all people would have it…_

Rouge narrowed her eyes in annoyance at the Shadow-Phi that were crowding around her. "Do you _mind?_ Eggman said that _I _was taking care of the kid!" she snapped, spinning back to face the crowd. They stared back at her lifelessly.

"Well?"

At the prompt, the crowd of Shadow-Phi began to walk out of the room, leaving only two that ignored her command. Rouge put her hands on her hips and pouted. _Geez…I guess Eggman doesn't trust me after all. Not that he has any reason to…_

She glowered at the two carbon copies of Shadow. _Man, they don't have his charm at all… _Rouge sighed dramatically. _Oh, I miss you Shadow! I can't wait to come back to you and get away from these creepy phonies._

"ROUGE."

The robotic version of Rouge's love startled her, snapping her out of her thoughts. "W-what?"

The Shadow-Phi motioned towards Tails. "WE WERE ORDERED THAT, SHOULD YOU HESITATE IN HIS DISPOSAL, WE WERE TO TAKE HIM AWAY." As he spoke, the other Shadow-Phi began to char the metal bindings that had kept Tails' arms, legs, and tails strapped to the electric chair.

"Hold on a minute!" Rouge was blocked by the Shadow-Phi that had spoken to her, forcing her to watch helplessly as the other one carried Tails over his shoulder and out of the small dark room. Rouge sighed exasperatedly. _So much for _me _helping the kid…_

The soulless Shadow-Phi stared at her in its normal blank way that made Rouge lose her nerve. _Calm down, Rouge… _Though her mind was calming itself down, her body didn't register the same feeling. She tried to ask as calmly as she could, "Where is he taking the fox boy?"

Rouge cursed herself mentally for having her statement come out in a nervous tone. Fortunately, the Shadow-Phi didn't notice. _Well, at least he's as dense as Shadow… _Rouge's lips formed a small smile that, again, went unnoticed by the Shadow-Phi.

"HE'S BEING TAKEN TO THE ROBOTICIZER REJECT PIT. DR. ROBOTNIK SAID THAT ROBOTICIZED MOBIANS THAT WENT AWRY TRAUMATIZING THE FOX BRAT AND RIPPING HIM TO SHREDS WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT WAY OF DISPOSAL."

Rouge's stomach twisted at the thought. "NOW IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME, I MUST GET BACK TO DR. ROBOTNIK."

Within a few moments, Rouge was alone in the small, dark metal room. A shiver went up her spine, but the glow of pride that came from the green Chaos Emerald in her pocket tuned it out. _With the Master Emerald keeping the roboticizer stable, the seven Chaos Emeralds will have to power the ship…so you can't do anything without this baby, can you?_

Rouge smirked at her own guile. _Well, the good doctor should know I have _very _refined tastes when it comes to jewelry…although Shadow seemed to be the only one who could figure out what they are._

She longed to see Shadow again; these fake ones hovering around were starting to get to her. Finally, she decided that now would be the best time to slink back where she belonged. _With the Eighth Emerald with him, he should have no trouble getting out of there on his own, _she tried to convince herself.

It wasn't working. With a final sigh, she turned to the corridor and resigned herself to meeting up with her boyfriend. _Good luck, fox boy. You're gonna need it…_

* * *

Couldn't resist the Shadouge. :) Another chapter done! Let me know if I have any typos or anything; I'm afraid that I might have missed some. Until next time, sayonara! --MTK 


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